A little bit more than patriotism. A little bit lower than jingoism. ---
Nirendra Dev

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Indo-Pak tension reflects age-old antagonism

These are tense times along the India-Pakistan border.

On Oct. 2, heavily armed terrorists attacked two Indian army camps leading to a fierce gun-battle. Two terrorists and one solider were killed, according to India’s federal Home Ministry spokesperson.

The attack was seen as Pakistan’s response to India carrying out "surgical strikes" in "Pakistan occupied Kashmir." But India claimed it was destroying terror launch pads, which Pakistan has contested.

The one-upmanship began after a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base in Uri on the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir where 19 soldiers died. It was one of the deadliest attacks in years.

Now the talk of the town is — will this continue and escalate?

Now the talk of the town is – will Pakistan
retaliate yet again and escalate the already tense situation both along the
borders and also deep inside both the countries. The relation between India and
Pakistan has remained adrift and discordant over the last six decades. Even as
the hawkish Hindutva point of view in India – something cherished by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his
government – plays holier than thou, it would be irrational to blame Pakistan
alone. Both the countries are at logger heads since 1947 due to mutual
apprehensions and at times deliberately nurtured apprehensions. While New Delhi
says it has walked the talk in favour of talks, Pakistan’s allegation is that
India has always played a big brother role and the machinations of Indian
National Congress and the colonial masters under Lord Mountbatten had prevented
emergence of Pakistan as a true homeland of Muslims as envisaged.

There are many reasons for Indian army’s retaliation
to the terror attack of September 18 – which New Delhi says has been carried
out by Jaish-e-Mohammad militants with aid and logistic support of regular
Pakistani army. Well, of all these one reason is the domestic polity in India
itself. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Hindu fundamental Bharatiya Janata
Party(BJP) has been under pressure to deliver on his election promise.

“It is a timely action.
The entire political class in India is behind Indian army at this juncture. But
with regard the political leadership of Narendra Modi government, their
approval to army actions are actually guided by the pressure of domestic
politics. The Uri attack had exposed Modi’s Pakistan policy and even radical
BJP leaders have demanded ‘a complete jaw for every tooth’,” says socialist leader
Dharmendra Yadav of Samajwadi Party.

In fact, others tend to
agree. Another senior parliamentarian Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal – United says,
“Prime Minister Modi had to act as he has created the mood for such hyped
expectations. In run up to 2014 parliamentary polls, Modi displayed his chest
and said he would use his 56-inch chest to teach Pakistan a lesson”.

However, ruling BJP
leaders say the actions were expected as Pakistan was literally playing with
the patience and the long rope Modi government had given to Pakistan in its
efforts to establish a purposeful dialogue. “My Prime Minister (Modi) invited
Nawaz Sharif (Pakistan PM) for swearing in ceremony in 2014. A number of
efforts were made to reach out to the political leadership. Modi even made
unscheduled visit to Lahore to wish Sharif on his birthday on December 25,
2015. But they reciprocated with terror strikes at Pathankot airbase and Uri
army camp,” points out BJP spokesman Shrikant Sharma.

But Sharma and other
BJP leaders are happy in the manner things have progressed so far. This is
according to the script they must have presumed and many ruling Ministers in
the government have not hesitated to turn these episodes as a personal victory
of Modi – the grand suggestion being Prime Minister has emerged a “politically decisive
and stronger leader” vis-à-vis his predecessor Manmohan Singh of Congress
party.

But the apprehension
now is whether the situation would escalate. Though rattled, Pakistan has so
far given only mixed signals. Initially, they denied about ‘surgical strikes’
and tried to give an impression that the Indian side was making a false claim –
on the other hand Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has chaired a number of
meetings with military commanders and others and reacted with no unambiguous
assertion- “Our desire for peace should not be taken as a sign of weakness’.

In the overall emerging
scenario, post-Uri attack and the surgical strikes, India has handled its cards
well and able to corner Pakistan diplomatically.

In recent week, four of
the SAARC members – including Afghanistan, Bangladesh (both Islamic countries),
Sri Lanka and Bhutan have decided to stay away from the summit meet initially
scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in November. Among the global powers, the
US, UK and Russia have backed Indian actions against terror hideouts.

There is yet another element to the unfolding
developments. The antagonism towards India from Pakistani side is largely seen
from Punjabi (Pakistan) point of view and this is given to bitterness of
partition in 1947. The people of Balochistan and North West Frontier Province
in Pakistan rather have “high expectations” from New Delhi in their battle
against Islamabad hegemony. In fact, Baloch rebel leader

Brahumdagh Bugti, fighting for independence, has
sought political asylum in India. Baloch nationalist leaders and activists have
welcomed the cross-border surgical strikes by India.

"It's a great day which gives up hope. This
should have been done long back... we welcome this audacious move by India.
Pakistan is a haven for terrorists” said Sher Mohammad Bugti, spokesperson of
Baloch Republican Party (BRP).

About Me

Author of 'Rainbows and Misty Sky: Windows to North East India';
'HEART ALONE' (A collection of short stories), 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth' and other books, 'Ayodhya: Battle for Peace' (2011) ‘Godhra – A Journey To Mayhem’ (2004) and ‘The Talking Guns: North East India’ (2008).